The crime drama parody series,American Vandal, has a 98% onRotten Tomatoesand is available on Netflix and yet feels wildly underrated.Crime TV showsare never going away. Gangs, police, and the courts are just the perfect vehicles to tell interesting stories that reflect modern times and allow for an ensemble cast.
The true-crime documentary boomnever actually subsided, so it’s not a boom so much as a new epoch. For better or for worse, people can’t get enough of seeing criminals get away with, or get caught up in, their crimes.American Vandalpokes fun at both genresand should have been watched by more people.
American Vandal Is A Hilarious Parody Of True Crime Drama Series
The Series Pokes Fun At All The Tropes Of The Genre
American Vandalpremiered in September 2017 and ran for two seasons, earning a 98% overall onRotten Tomatoesby the end of the show’s run.The series parodies true-crime documentaries, utilizing talking heads, hidden cameras, creepy imagery, and reenactments, all to very funny effect.
Instead of following a crime like a murder or kidnapping,the crime at the center ofAmerican Vandalis a high school prankthat left 27 faculty cars vandalized with phallic images. From the tone and seriousness of the documentary, you would think those 27 faculty members were also murdered and their identities stolen.
The acting, the strict adherence to true crime tropes, and the absurdity of the situation all combine to form something uniquely funny.
The second season follows a new crime, this one involving a batch of lemonade that was contaminated with a hefty amount of maltitol, which has a laxative effect in high quantities. The acting, the strict adherence to true crime tropes, and the absurdity of the situation all combine to form something uniquely funny.
Why American Vandal Is So Underrated
The Series Is A Unique Take On A Popular Genre
American Vandalhas a 98% onRotten Tomatoes, andthe first season even earned an Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special category. Yet, it feels like a show that has never gotten its proper due. You rarely hear people talk about it in either comedy or true crime discussions.
The problem may in part stem from viewers not necessarily understanding the conceit of the show. Either they think it’s actually a true-crime documentary about something mundane, and therefore boring, or they assume it’s strictly a joke without much more to do than lampshade true-crime tropes.
In reality,American Vandaloffers genuinely intriguing mysteriesand a look into high school and social issues that may surprise you with their insight. There are also no major stars in the series, but that actually helps with the “real” feeling.American Vandalmay be unremarked upon, but it’s not unremarkable.
